Apparatus for mending knitted fabrics

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for mending snagged loops of knitted fabrics, including a mending tool operated by reversible motor and a worksupporting mending cup in which the switch controlling the motor is mounted on the mending cup and operable by the operator&#39;&#39;s cupholding hand. In a preferred embodiment, a separate main current control switch is mounted on the mending cup and is automatically operable by the tilting of the mending cup into working position.

Umted States Patent [H1 3,710,593 Marley [451 Jan. 16, 1973 54] APPARATUS FOR MENDING KNITTED 3,196,638 7/1965 Marley 066/] R FABRICS v FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] Inventor: Michael A. Marley, New Brunswick,

1 Ni ll,057 3/l934 Australia ..66/l R [73] Assignee: Marley Mend-More, Inc., New Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds York, NY. AttorneyVictor M. Helfand [22] Filed: Dec. 21, 1 970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] 'Appl' loooss Apparatus for mending snagged loops of knitted fabrics, including a mending tool operated by reversi- 52 us. Cl. ..66/] R ble motor and a pp g mending P in [51] Int. Cl. ..I)04h 3/00 which the Switch controlling the motor is mounted 0h 58 Field of Search ..66/l.5, 1 A, 1 R the mending P and Operable by the operamrs "P' holding hand. In a preferred embodiment, a separate 6 References Cited main current control switch is mounted on the mending cup and is automatically operable by the tilting of UNITED STATES PATENTS the mending cup into working position.

2,713,783 7/1955 Zane et a] ..66/1 R 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures I 2O l4 l6 12 PATENTEDJM 16 I975 2s 4e 44 4o MICHAEL A.MARLEY INVENTOR.

BY I

The present invention relates to an apparatus or tool for mending knittedv fabrics, especially knitted hosiery, to restore accidentally snagged and enlarged loops to proper, normal size; of the type such as described in U. S. Pat. No. 3,196,638 of July 27, 1965 and US. Pat. No. 3,413,822 of Dec. 3, 1968, and in various other patents. The present invention is especially directed to the electrical control means for such apparatus.

Fabric mending apparatus of the character described generally comprises hand tool consisting of a rotatable loop-engaging and restoring member or blade, at the end of a shaft rotatably supported in a handle and rotated by a flexible cable connected to a reversible electric motor, to reverse the direction of the rotating loop-engaging blade, as may be required under varying circumstances.

The fabric mending apparatus of the invention is used in association with a mending cup, generally of hour-glass shape, over the open end of which the operator stretches the snagged portion of the fabric; the surrounding portions of which are clasped against the side of the cup by the operators hand.

Heretofore, the direction of rotation of the motor was controlled either by a pedal operated by a standing operator, which generally included a double throw, one-pole switch and also controlled the circuit through the motor, to start and stop it; or by a similar switch mounted on the handle of the apparatus.

Both of the above forms of control have certain shortcomings. Pedal control divides the operators attention between hand and foot, preventing complete attention to and interfering with the management of the tool and also causing a degree of strain on the operators body, whose foot has to remain, at all times, in, position of contacting the pedal, which is prone toshift its position. The handle control system requires the movement of the hand that holds the tool for purposes other than tool control, thereby detracting from the efficiency of the tool-control; a condition thatmay cause damage to the fabric being mended, especially where such fabric is delicate, knitted hosiery.

The present invention is directed to a method and means of controlling the reversing of the motor of the mending apparatus which will free the operator from the use of foot or his tool-holding hand for that purpose, thereby making the operators control of the tool more steady, and more certain and of lesser strain on the operators body.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the knitted fabric mending apparatus of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the descriptionfollowing. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of theinvention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details. therein shown.

In the drawing: a

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, more or lessschematic depiction of a fabric-mending apparatus of the present invention, with the mending cup shown in vertical section; broken to indicate indeterminate length;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing the apparatus controlling means in position for control by the operators mending cup-holding hand; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the controlling circuit of the apparatus.

Generally stated, the invention consists in the arrangement of the means for controlling the reversible motor of the apparatus, both current control and direction control, on the mending cup of the apparatus where it maybe conveniently actuated by the handof the operator that holds the mending cup. Such control means may consist of a multiple-throw single or multiple-pole switch mounted on the mending cup in position for actuation by a finger of the operators hand that holds the cup. Such control switch may control both current and direction of motor rotation or a separate current control switch may be mounted on the mending cup for automatically closing the current circuit to the motor when the cup is moved by the operator into tilted position that is normal for its use.

Referring more specifically to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the same shows a conventional reversible motor, fragmentarily and schematically. indicated at 10, to the shaft of which is connected, as is conventional, the one end of a flexible driving cable, 12. The other end of cable 12 is connected to a mending tool, generally designated as 14, consisting of a shaft 16. rotatably supported in a handle 18; one end of the shaft 16 being operatably connected to cable 12 and the other end of the shaft 16- projecting from handle 18 and mounting a loop-engageing member or blade 20. The handle 18 may be of any type suitable for the purpose and the blade may be of any formor shape used in the art.

The apparatus also includes a work supporting device consisting of the conventional, hollow, substantially hour-glass shaped cup generally designated as 24, including the upwardly tapering conical base portion, 26, having the preferably, relatively heavy or weighted bottom wall, 28, and the downwardly tapering, conical upper portion, 30, having the opening, 32, at its top, across which the work, 34, to be mounted is stretched and held in place by the operators hand grasping the mounting cup 24.

Mending cup 24 supports a multi-throw single or multiple-pole switch, 36, whose operating button or pin, 38, projects on the exterior. Such switch may, preferably, be mounted on the upper portion, 30, of the cup where its pin 38 may be most conveniently manipulated by the thumb or forefinger of the operators hand, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, or may be mounted on the lower conical portion 26 of the cup as indicated in dotted lines at 26a in FIG. 1, for manipulation by the little finger or the finger next to it of the operators hand.

Switch 36 is connected by a 3 lead wire, 40, which extend through the wall of the cup 24, to motor 10, either directly to the windings thereof or to the terminals of a 3-prong male plug, 41, which is insertable into a 3-slot female plug, schematically illustrated at 42, whose terminals may be connected to the windings of the motor 10. As such electrical connections are conventional andwell understood by those skilled in the art and do not-form any part of the presentinvention, specific, details thereof are not thought necessary to be herein illustrated. It will be understood, however, that where the motor windings are connected to four terminals, wire 40 may comprise four leads, male plug 41 may comprise four prongs and female plug 42 may be accordingly four slotted with its four terminals connected to the four winding terminals.

Switch 36 may be of a type to control both the current through the motor and its direction of rotation, as by being a multiple throw, 2 pole switch. I prefer, however, to have the same comprise a double-throw single pole switch that controls only the direction of motor rotation, and to provide a support current control switch on the mending cup 24. Such current control switch may be a normally closed switch, 44, mounted on the bottom wall 28 of the cup, with its actuating pin or button 46 projecting on the exterior and outwardly of the cup; switch 40 being connected between two of the leads of the wire, 40, in a manner that will be readily understood. Normally, when not in use, cup 24 will rest on its bottom 28 on a supporting surface which will cause actuating pin 46 of switch 44 to be pushed inwardly, to open the switch 44 and break the current to the motor. However, such switch 44 will return to normally closed position, to open the current through the motor, when it is tilted by the operator into normal operating position, to thereby release the pressure on pin 46.

This completes the description of the knitted fabric mending apparatus of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such apparatus is of relatively simple construction, easy and convenient to use and affords an operator improved control of the mending tool with a minimum of physical and nervous strain. It will also be apparent that such apparatus is at least partially automatic in providing for the automatic control of the main electric circuit through the motor, thereby further relieving and freeing the operator to concentrate upon control of the mending tool, for improved and more rapid operation.

it will be further apparent that numerous variations and modifications may be made in the knitted fabric mending apparatus of the present invention, by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove stated and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity.

What I claim is:

l. A knitted-fabric mending apparatus, comprising in combination, a reversible electric motor, a fabric mending tool including a rotatable loop-engaing blade operated by said motor and a work supporting cup; said work supporting cup including an upright wall and a bottom and having mounted thereon a multi-throw switch, said switch having an operating member projecting on the exterior of said cup in position for operation by the hand of an operator holding a work on said cup; the contacts of said switch connected to a multistrand lead wire extending through the wall of said cup and connected to said motor; and a second, normally closed switch mounted on said cup and connected to said lead wire, said second switch mounted on said bottom and having an operating member comprising a pin projecting on the exterior of said bottom and movable inwardly into said cup when said cup is rested on a surface by its said bottom and automatically outwardly movable into switch closing position when said cup is moved into tiltably supportedpositjon on said surface.

2. A mending cup or use in knitted-fabric mending apparatus, comprising an upright wall and a bottom, a double throw, single pole switch mounted on said wall, said switch having an operating member projecting to the exterior of said wall in position for engagement by a finger of a hand holding a work on said cup, a threestrand lead wire connected to the terminals of said switch, said strands of said lead wire adapted to be connected to the terminals of the windings of a reversible electric motor; and a second, normally closed switch mounted on said cup and connected in circuit with said first named switch mounted on said bottom and, said second switch having an operating member projecting on the exterior of said bottom and arranged to be moved inwardly to open said switch when said cup is rested on a surface by its bottom and to automatically move outwardly to close said switch when said cup is moved to tilted position on said surface. 

1. A knitted-fabric mending apparatus, comprising in combination, a reversible electric motor, a fabric mending tool including a rotatable loop-engaing blade operated by said motor and a work supporting cup; said work supporting cup including an upright wall and a bottom and having mounted thereon a multithrow switch, said switch having an operating member projecting on the exterior of said cup in position for operation by the hand of an operator holding a work on said cup; the contacts of said switch connected to a multi-strand lead wire extending through the wall of said cup and connected to said motor; and a second, normally closed switch mounted on said cup and connected to said lead wire, said second switch mounted on said bottom and having an operating member comprising a pin projecting on the exterior of said bottom and movable inwardly into said cup when said cup is rested on a surface by its said bottom and automatically outwardly movable into switch closing position when said cup is moved into tiltably supported position on said surface.
 2. A mending cup for use in knitted-fabric mending apparatus, comprising an upright wall and a bottom, a double throw, single pole switch mounted on said wall, said switch having an operating member projecting to the exterior of said wall in position for engagement by a finger of a hand holding a work on said cup, a three-strand lead wire connected to the terminals of said switch, said strands of said lead wire adapted to be connected to the terminals of the windings of a reversible electric motor; and a second, normally closed switch mounted on said cup and connected in circuit with said first named switch mounted on said bottom and, said second switch having an operating member projecting on the exterior of said bottom and arranged to be moved inwardly to open said switch when said cup is rested on a surface by its bottom and to automatically move outwardly to close said switch when said cup is moved to tilted position on said surface. 